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Baltimore Entry Requirements

Baltimore Entry Requirements

Visa, immigration, and customs information

Important Notice Entry requirements can change at any time. Always verify current requirements with official government sources before traveling.
Baltimore, Maryland punches above its size on the East Coast. No city-specific rules exist, everyone must follow U.S. federal immigration requirements. Period. Whether you're landing at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI), driving across the border, or sailing in, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Department of Homeland Security call every shot. Know the rules before you leave home. Then you can focus on Baltimore's Inner Harbor, excellent restaurants, and busy cultural scene. The United States runs several entry lanes based on nationality. Citizens of the 42 Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries skip the visa but need an approved Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) before boarding. Travelers from non-VWP countries must apply for the appropriate U.S. visa, usually a B-2 Tourist Visa, at an U.S. Embassy or Consulate back home. Every visitor, no matter the passport, faces CBP processing on arrival: biometric collection and a quick interview with an immigration officer. Baltimore stays well linked to the world through BWI Airport, 10 miles south of downtown, and through Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Reagan National Airport (DCA) in the nearby Washington D.C. metro area. Line up your papers, learn the basic U.S. entry drill, and arrival is easy. Always check official U.S. government sources before you leave, immigration policies can change.

Visa Requirements

Entry permissions vary by nationality. Find your category below.

Visa Waiver Program (ESTA Required)
Ninety days. That is your window, each visit. The ESTA authorization holds for 2 years or until your passport dies, whichever hits first.

42 countries. One loophole. Citizens of the 42 Visa Waiver Program countries can walk straight into the United States for 90 days, no visa, no paperwork, no embassy queue. Tourism, business, doesn't matter. There's a catch. Every VWP traveler must secure an approved Electronic System for Travel Authorization before boarding any carrier bound for the U.S. Miss this step and you'll watch your flight leave without you. ESTA isn't a visa, never was. It is a pre-travel screening authorization, tied electronically to your passport. One application, one approval, and you're cleared for takeoff.

Includes
United Kingdom Germany France Italy Spain Netherlands Belgium Sweden Norway Denmark Finland Austria Switzerland Ireland Portugal Greece Czech Republic Poland Hungary Slovakia Slovenia Estonia Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Iceland Liechtenstein Monaco San Marino Australia New Zealand Japan South Korea Singapore Brunei Chile Taiwan Andorra Croatia Cyprus
How to Apply: Skip the airport panic. Apply online at esta.cbp.dhs.gov. Most clearances land within 72 hours, some drop in minutes. Do it at least 72 hours before departure, though weeks ahead beats the rush. No approved ESTA, no boarding.
Cost: USD $21 per application (as of 2026)

VWP travelers hit a hard stop at 90 days, no extensions, no switching to most visa types, no work. Period. If you've ever been denied an U.S. visa, arrested (even without conviction), or stepped foot in Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, or Yemen on or after March 1, 2011, forget the VWP. You'll need a visa. Nationality won't save you.

B-2 Tourist Visa (Traditional Visa Required)
Six months is the ceiling. But the CBP officer at your port of entry decides how long you get.

No visa-waiver? You'll need a B-2 Nonimmigrant Tourist Visa, applied for in person at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate back home. Tourism, family visits, even medical treatment all run through this same channel. The visa itself is just paper; a CBP officer at the port of entry still decides whether you get in.

How to Apply: Apply at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in your home country via ceac.state.gov. You'll complete Form DS-160 (Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application), pay the non-refundable MRV fee, approximately USD $185, and schedule a consular interview. Bring supporting documents. Processing times swing wildly by country and consulate. Check your consulate's wait times at travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/wait-times.html.

China, India, Brazil, Mexico, Russia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, Nigeria, Egypt, Pakistan, Bangladesh, plus most African, Middle Eastern, and Central Asian countries, must all line up for a B-2. Indian and Chinese passport holders already carrying valid U.S. visas can sometimes skip the slow queue. Ask for a joint stamp: the B-2 pairs with the B-1 in one neat B-1/B-2 combo. Refusal odds swing wildly; a steady job, a deed, kids in local schools, those ties anchor your file and the consul notices.

Arrival Process

Every single visitor, no exceptions, clears U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) before touching Baltimore soil. Most international flights to Baltimore land at BWI Airport. You might also come through nearby Washington Dulles (IAD) or Reagan National (DCA) airports, or roll in by land or sea. Here's what happens at the port of entry.

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1. Disembark and Follow Signage to CBP
BWI is your first stop, then the real drill begins. Follow the big yellow signs: Arrivals, Immigration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Touch down at a connecting airport inside the U.S.? You clear customs right there, not in Baltimore. Grab your checked bags, march through the inspection line, then hand them back at the re-check belt for the domestic hop.
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2. Complete the CBP Declaration Form
You'll get the CBP Declaration Form (Form 6059B) on the plane, every time. Declare everything. All goods bought abroad, every snack, plants, and any cash over USD $10,000. Skip the paper at many airports. Use the APC (Automated Passport Control) kiosk or the CBP One app instead. Fill it right. A false declaration is a federal offense, no exceptions.
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3. Primary Inspection, CBP Officer Interview
Walk straight to the CBP officer. No hesitation. U.S. citizens and permanent residents get dedicated lanes, foreign nationals use separate ones. The officer flips open your passport, scans it, and moves fast. Biometric data follows, digital fingerprints of all 10 fingers plus a digital photograph. Required for nearly all foreign visitors aged 14, 79. Questions come next: purpose, length, where you're staying. Quick. This step runs 1, 5 minutes per traveler.
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4. Biometric Collection
At the primary inspection booth, CBP grabs your fingerprints and snaps a photo, no discussion. This step is mandatory and non-negotiable. Officers run the data through watchlists and immigration databases. Say no to biometric collection and you'll be turned away.
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5. Collect Checked Baggage
Once you clear primary inspection, head straight to baggage claim. Grab your checked bags. Then march to customs.
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6. Customs Inspection
Hand over your completed CBP Declaration Form. The officer, maybe an agriculture specialist, will scan it fast. You might get waved through. They could tell you to dump fruit or cheese in the bin. Or they'll flag you for secondary inspection, a full unpack of bags and documents. Carrying cash or instruments over USD $10,000? You must report it to CBP. Don't. They'll seize the lot.
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7. Secondary Inspection (If Selected)
Secondary inspection isn't a red flag, it's just luck. A small percentage of travelers are selected for this extra step, and it does not necessarily indicate a problem. Officers may ask additional questions, dig through your bags more thoroughly, or verify your documents again. Cooperate fully. Answer honestly. The process can add 30 minutes to several hours to your arrival, plan for the worst, hope for less.
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8. Exit Customs and Proceed to Baltimore
You're through. Thirty minutes later, taxi, rideshare, Light Rail, or MARC Train, you'll be in downtown Baltimore.

Documents to Have Ready

Valid Passport
Your passport must stay valid for your whole trip, no exceptions. The U.S. skips the usual six-month rule. But it still has to outlast your ticket home. VWP travelers? Bring a machine-readable passport.
ESTA Approval (VWP travelers)
Your ESTA approval is already glued to your passport, no printout required. Jot down the application number anyway. The airline will scan your ESTA before you reach the gate. Double-check the approval and expiry date before you leave.
U.S. Nonimmigrant Visa (if required)
Check the visa stamp in your passport. It must be valid for entry on your travel date and the visa type must match your visit purpose, B-2 for tourism. Visa validity is the window when you may seek entry. It does not set how long you may stay.
Proof of Onward/Return Travel
A return or onward airline ticket proves you'll leave the United States before your authorized stay expires. CBP officers ask for it constantly.
Proof of Sufficient Funds
Carry proof you can pay your way, bank statements, plastic, or a letter from an U.S. host saying they'll pick up the tab. You won't flash it at the window. But have it ready. They ask, you hand it over.
Accommodation Confirmation
Bring a hotel booking confirmation or a letter from your U.S. host. It must list their Baltimore address and phone. Officers always ask where you're sleeping.
CBP Declaration Form (Form 6059B)
Fill this out before you land. Or use an APC kiosk after you deplane. Every international arrival must do it, no exceptions, no matter where you're from.
I-94 Arrival/Departure Record
Your I-94 is electronic now. CBP issues it at the port of entry for most nonimmigrant visa holders. Grab it yourself at i94.cbp.dhs.gov once you land, the page displays your exact authorized period of stay. VWP travelers enter under 'WB' or 'WT' status and get 90 days.

Tips for Smooth Entry

Apply for your ESTA at least 72 hours before departure, weeks ahead is better. Last-minute ESTA applications can be denied, leaving you unable to board your flight.
Answer immigration officer questions honestly, concisely, confidently. Don't volunteer excess information. Don't be evasive. A simple, direct answer is always best.
Don't even think about sneaking that mango past the dog. U.S. Customs will seize every fresh fruit, vegetable, meat, or dairy you don't declare, no second chances. First strike: USD $300 minimum.
At Baltimore's primary inspection booth, "I'll look it up on my phone" won't cut it. Carry your host's full name, address, and phone number, written down. Immigration officers want answers fast. No paper, no entry. Simple as that.
Keep your carry-on baggage organized. If they flag you for secondary inspection, you'll open fast. Stash liquids and electronics up top, grab-and-go.
Download CBP One or hit the APC kiosks at BWI, either hack cuts your customs crawl to minutes.
CBP officers have broad discretionary authority to deny entry. The immigration hall is not the place for humor, don't joke, don't get sarcastic, don't confront them. They'll use any excuse. Stay polite, stay brief, get through.
Errors on your I-94 are common, and fixable if you catch them early. Check i94.cbp.dhs.gov within 24 hours of arrival to confirm your admission class and authorized stay period. Fix mistakes now. You'll save yourself headaches later.

Customs & Duty-Free

Baltimore-bound? Same rules apply. U.S. Customs regulations hit every traveler entering Baltimore and the United States, no exceptions. Grab the CBP Declaration Form (Form 6059B). Fill it out. Every international arrival must complete it. Residents and non-residents face slightly different duty-free allowances, know yours. The principle is blunt: when in doubt, declare it. Undeclared items? They'll seize them. Civil penalties follow.

Alcohol
1 liter, about one standard bottle, comes in duty-free if you're 21 or older. Bring more and you'll pay federal duty plus whatever state tax they decide to slap on.
You must be 21 years of age or older to bring alcohol into Maryland duty-free. Period. State law still governs anything you haul in for personal use, no exceptions. Bring many cases and they'll treat you like a bootlegger. Confiscation. Steep duties. Total hassle.
Tobacco
200 cigarettes (one carton) and 100 cigars duty-free. Non-Cuban cigars only, Cuban cigars remain subject to embargo restrictions.
21+ in Maryland, no exceptions. Cuban cigars from Canada, Mexico? Still banned. Smokeless tobacco? Same limits.
Currency and Monetary Instruments
You can haul a suitcase stuffed with cash straight through U.S. Customs, no ceiling, no questions, until the stack hits USD $10,000. At that point you must file FinCEN Form 105 at the port of entry, same rule for foreign currency of equal value.
"Monetary instruments" covers cash, traveler's checks, money orders, and certain negotiable instruments. Miss the declaration for amounts over USD $10,000 and you risk immediate seizure of the entire sum under civil asset forfeiture law, legal origin won't save you. This rule gets enforced hard.
Gifts and Personal Goods
U.S. residents returning home get USD $800 duty-free per person. That's the limit, no tricks. Tourists? Different rules. Non-U.S. residents can bring USD $100 in gifts. That's for items they'll give to others while in the U.S. Not much. Plan accordingly.
Items for personal use, clothing, toiletries, electronics you're bringing for your own use and will take home, generally aren't subject to duty. Gifts you're bringing to leave in the U.S. fall under the $100 non-resident exemption. Keep receipts for all goods purchased abroad.
Food
Packaged snacks survive customs. Fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, dairy, forget them.
Declare every snack on your CBP form, even the ones you swear are legal. One undeclared granola bar can cost you USD $300, $10,000. Inspectors have the last word. Certain cured meats from specific countries stay banned, disease risk.

Prohibited Items

  • Federal law applies, period. Narcotics and illegal drugs, including marijuana, even from jurisdictions where it is legal.
  • Cuban cigars above personal-use quantities or purchased with intent to resell, U.S. trade embargo restrictions
  • Certain firearms, ammunition, and explosives without proper ATF permits, strict federal licensing required.
  • Counterfeit goods, fake designer items, pirated media, violate intellectual property law. Civil and criminal penalties follow.
  • Sea turtle products, ivory, certain exotic animal skins, CITES treaty bans them all. Don't buy. The penalties are severe, and enforcement isn't theoretical. Customs officers know what to look for. You'll lose the item, pay fines, possibly face charges. Some sellers lie about permits. Most permits are fake anyway. The treaty works, when people follow it. Your souvenir isn't worth a species.
  • Child pornography, zero tolerance, immediate criminal prosecution
  • Thujone levels in absinthe exceed what the FDA allows, specific wormwood compounds stay prohibited.
  • Haitian animal hide drums (Chèche/Rada drums), risk of African Swine Fever contamination
  • Soil or earth, agricultural quarantine risk

Restricted Items

  • Firearms and ammunition, require ATF import permits and must comply with federal and Maryland state law; Maryland requires a Handgun Qualification License for handgun purchases
  • Bring just the meds you need. Prescription medications, pack only what you'll use in-country. Carry a photocopy of every prescription. Keep pills in the original, labeled bottles. Narcotics and controlled substances? Bring extra paperwork.
  • Fresh pork from African Swine Fever countries, banned. Certain cheeses from foot-and-mouth zones, same fate. Check CBP's APHIS list before you pack.
  • Bring a plant home and you'll need paperwork, most plants, seeds, and plant products must arrive with phytosanitary certificates from their country of origin. Some invasives? Fully prohibited.
  • Birds, reptiles, exotic animals, forget the easy ride cats and dogs get. The USDA and USFWS don't mess around. Advance permits. Complex rules. Every single time.
  • Carry large amounts of over-the-counter meds? Customs may flag them as commercial. Pack a doctor's note or prescription labels, prove they're for you.

Health Requirements

Early 2026: the United States just scrapped every last COVID rule. Vaccine mandates? Gone. Testing requirements? Axed. The whole playbook from 2021, 2023 is history. You can walk straight into the U.S. to visit Baltimore with zero health paperwork. No forms, no QR codes, nothing. That said, the usual public-health tips still apply, and certain visa categories still carry their old vaccination rules.

Required Vaccinations

  • You won't need a single jab. No vaccinations are currently required for tourist entry into the United States under ESTA or B-2 visa for general tourism purposes.
  • Green-card hopefuls and long-stay visa holders must roll up their sleeves, CDC rules demand the full slate: MMR, varicella, hepatitis An and B, polio, meningococcal, tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis, influenza. Short-term tourists landing in Baltimore? None of that applies.
  • Arrive from an endemic yellow-fever zone, parts of Africa, parts of South America, and you'll need that yellow-fever certificate. Check the CDC's country-by-country list before you board.

Recommended Vaccinations

  • MMR, measles, mumps, rubella, can't wait. Tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis (Tdap), varicella (chickenpox), polio. Get them all.
  • Get the flu shot. October through April is flu season in Baltimore, and the vaccine is your best shield for fall and winter travel.
  • No jab? You'll still get through U.S. immigration. The CDC, however, wants every traveler current on COVID-19 shots.
  • Get both. Hepatitis An and B shots aren't optional, they're the baseline for anyone who crosses a border.
  • Meningococcal vaccine: Get it. You'll need it for crowded venues and college campuses in Baltimore, Johns Hopkins and University of Maryland are major institutions in the area.

Health Insurance

A single U.S. emergency room visit can run USD $1,000, $5,000 or more without insurance. Hospitalization? Expect USD $10,000 per day, easy. The United States does not offer universal public healthcare, and medical costs sit extremely high by international standards. Buy travel health insurance with complete medical coverage plus emergency medical evacuation, non-negotiable for every visitor. Check that your policy covers pre-existing conditions if you have any, and double-check it lists the U.S. specifically. Plenty of international plans exclude the country because of the price tag. Many international health insurance policies do not cover the U.S., verify before you board.

Current Health Requirements: COVID rules are gone, as of March 2026, the United States won't ask for proof of vaccination, a test, or paperwork at the border. The emergency orders that ran from 2021, 2023 have been wiped from the books. Trouble is, viruses don't read calendars. Within 72 hours of departure, pull up the CDC's Travelers' Health site (wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel) and your home country's U.S. Embassy page. Requirements flip fast. While you're in Baltimore, let your foreign ministry's alert service track your trip and ping you if health or safety conditions shift.

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Important Contacts

Essential resources for your trip.

Emergency Services (Police, Fire, Ambulance)
911, the universal emergency number for all of the United States
911 works from any phone in Baltimore, police, fire, medical. No SIM needed. No service contract required. Mobile phones connect regardless. For non-emergency situations, call Baltimore Police at 410-396-2100.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
CBP.gov is the only address you need, customs rules, APC details, every port of entry question answered in one place.
Need U.S. Customs help? Call the CBP INFO Center, 1-877-227-5511 inside the U.S., 202-325-8000 if you're abroad.
U.S. Department of State, Visas
Official U.S. visa information: travel.state.gov, for visa applications, embassy locations, and appointment scheduling
Skip the guesswork. DS-160 visa applications go straight to ceac.state.gov. Punch in your consulate on the State Department site, wait times pop up instantly.
ESTA Application Portal
The only official ESTA portal: esta.cbp.dhs.gov. No other site will do. Visa Waiver Program authorizations run through here, period. Third-party services charge fees for what you can handle yourself in minutes. Don't fall for it. The URL is clunky. Bookmark it. You'll need it again, ESTA approvals last 2 years or until your passport expires, whichever hits first. Most approvals arrive within minutes. Some don't. Apply at least 72 hours before departure. Airlines won't board you without it. No exceptions. The site looks dated. It works. That is what matters.
The official ESTA fee is USD $21. That's it. Third-party sites will inflate that, sometimes drastically. Don't pay more. Only use esta.cbp.dhs.gov. Anything else is a ripoff.
Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI)
BWI Airport main information: bwiairport.com, flight information, terminal maps, ground transportation to Baltimore
Airport main number: 410-859-7111. Lost and found: 410-859-7387.
Your Country's Embassy or Consulate in the U.S.
Your embassy sits in Washington D.C., or a consulate hides in a nearby city. Track it down through your home government's foreign affairs website.
Your embassy is your lifeline, register before any extended stay. In an emergency, they'll replace your passport, wire emergency funds, and connect you with vetted lawyers. Most countries keep embassies in Washington D.C., just 40 miles from Baltimore.
Maryland Department of Health
health.maryland.gov, your first stop for current public health advisories, vaccination clinics, and health resources in Maryland.
Check health alerts for Baltimore before you land. The city posts updates fast, sometimes daily, and you'll want the latest.

Special Situations

Additional requirements for specific circumstances.

Traveling with Children

No consent letter is needed when both parents fly with the child. One parent? Different story. U.S. immigration doesn't demand a standalone form. Yet CBP still urges you to carry a notarized letter from the absent parent, phone number included, plus custody papers if you've got them. Officers and airlines now eye single-parent trips hard; they're hunting abduction risks, not paperwork errors. Babies don't get a free pass. Every child, even a 2-week-old, needs a passport. No ESTA shortcut exists, each traveler, regardless of age, must secure individual authorization.

Traveling with Pets

Healthy-looking dogs only, no sniffles, no scratches, get past U.S. customs. Since August 2024, any dog that has set paw in a high-risk rabies country needs extra paperwork and pre-clearance; scan the CDC's 'Bringing a Dog into the United States' page at cdc.gov/importation before you book. U.S.-vaccinated dogs slide back in with less fuss. Cats merely have to look fit, no sneezing, no scabs. Birds, reptiles, rabbits, ferrets, primates? They're another story: USDA, USFWS, and CDC rules pile on permits, quarantine, red tape, call those agencies months early. Airlines add their own maze, cabin vs. cargo, breed bans, vet certificates, so check their pet policy twice.

Extended Stays Beyond 90 Days (VWP Travelers)

90 days is all you get. Visa Waiver Program travelers cannot extend that window or switch to most nonimmigrant visas while still inside the U.S. Want to stay longer? Fly home, queue at an U.S. Embassy or Consulate, and apply for a B-2 Tourist Visa before you come back. The old 'visa run', a quick dash into Canada or Mexico, won't reset your 90-day admission. The clock keeps ticking the moment you step back across the border.

Extended Stays Beyond Visa Admission Period

Overstay by one day and you face a 3-year or 10-year ban from re-entering the U.S., no exceptions. B-2 visa holders admitted for a specific period (shown on the I-94) who need more time may apply for an extension of stay using Form I-539 with USCIS before the current authorized stay expires. Extensions aren't guaranteed and must be based on legitimate reasons, unexpected medical treatment, family emergency. File the extension before expiration and you'll generally remain in status while the application is pending. The penalties are severe: overstays of 180 days, 1 year trigger a 3-year bar, while overstays over 1 year lock you out for 10 years.

Travelers with Criminal Records

One old DUI can lock you out. The United States keeps the door wide for plenty, but a single criminal conviction, DUI, drug offense, fraud, theft, assault, even a controlled-substance arrest without conviction, can slam it shut at the port of entry. ESTA approval does not guarantee admission. If you've got any criminal history, phone an immigration attorney before you book. Apply for a B-2 visa through a consulate instead of gambling on ESTA; solve the problem on paper before you board.

Traveling with Medications

Pack meds in their original, labeled pharmacy containers. Bring a copy of the prescription and, for controlled substances, opioid pain relievers, ADHD medications, anti-anxiety drugs, a letter from your prescribing physician on official letterhead. Import enough for your trip plus a reasonable buffer, typically no more than a 90-day supply for personal use. Certain medications legal in your home country (e.g., codeine-containing products, certain sleeping aids) may be controlled substances under U.S. federal law. Check with the DEA or CBP before travel if uncertain. Cannabis and cannabis-derived products remain federally prohibited regardless of Maryland's state legalization, do not bring them across international borders.

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